He’s My Real Brother, Duke

“…Y-you woke up already?”

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His gaze stayed on me.
I didn’t say anything, but I could feel the tension that seemed to wrap around my body.

 

Soon his lips opened to speak.

 

“I want to reward the person who saved me.”

 

The words he said were about the reward, but it felt like the message meant ‘I’ll kill you‘, speaking with that terrifying expression on his face…

 

I’m not actually nervous, but I couldn’t help but feel scared of him.

 

But of course this was the moment I’ve been waiting all this time!

 

So I spoke confidently.

 

“R-reward…? That’s great!”

 

This person would become a problem to my brother’s revenge, so I need to pave the path for our revenge.

 

Originally, even if the other person returned the favor, It’s still annoying that someone couldn’t receive it comfortably.

 

The Duke particularly has a fearsome atmosphere, and it scares me…!

 

“If so then, I’m your benefactor! Oh, and I have one little and precious request for the reward.”

 

The Duke tilted his head and stiffened.

 

“Okay, I’ll listen to it.”

 

“Well, I think it would take a long time to talk about it.
Could we talk somewhere else? Because my house was small and shabby…”

 

It’s better to talk about it at Duke’s Castle, the forbidden fortress.

 

…I endured trying to say that.

 

He hasn’t revealed his identity as the Duke yet, so it’s not easy to confess what I really want.

 

However, God seemed to be on my side.

 

“Well, my mansion’s near here.
If possible, we could go and talk there.”, The Duke replied.

 

I don’t know why, but things are working out my way.

 

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‘Then, would I be able to enter the Duke castle as his benefactor that saved him as I planned?’

 

Once I step into the Duke Castle, it would be easier to tell him, ‘Please let me work at the office of the treatment center!’

 

The Shapeshifters hate and despise humans, but they couldn’t spit ferociously at the Duke’s benefactor.

 

If I caught the spies while working at the internal treatment center in Duke’s Castle, I would steal the details of their background, then after that my mission would be complete!

 

After all the calculations, I nodded with a sorrowful look.

 

Every time I met his gaze, my breathing became weird, but it didn’t matter.
I inhaled violently and shouted as if to cheer up the atmosphere.

 

“Right! I think it’s better to talk at your mansion.”

 

Wait, does it sound too urgent? But strangely…

 

“Yes.”

 

…The Duke seemed more skeptical.
With a fierce expression on his face, he replied without hesitation.

 

I tilted my head in a strange sense of incongruity, but he suddenly took my hand.

 

And he held it tightly

 

My difficulty in breathing disappeared at the touch of our hands.

 

‘What’s this…?’

 

I couldn’t understand this sudden situation.

 

At that moment, his face leaned closer in front of my face, and his nose and mine were close enough to touch.

 

“I was waiting for you to say that.”

 

Yeah, I think that’s what I’ve been waiting for, but more than that,

 

“…You waited for me to speak?”

 

Aren’t things going much easier than I thought?

 

Was this a trap card?

 

I doubted all kinds of possibilities, and I was aware of putting my life on the line.

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Then the Duke whispered in a slightly harsh voice.

 

“Yes, I waited.”

 

I was even more terrified when I heard those words.

 

There was a guillotine in the castle that executed humans only a decade ago.

 

Could I really enter this easily?

 

This is definitely suspicious…

 

‘Calm down, Astel’

 

Even though it seems more dangerous than Duke Anais, it shouldn’t be embarrassing for some reason, even if this situation feels like a very sweet trap.

 

In preparation for meeting him, I wrote a script and practiced acting.

 

I straightened my face and smiled nicely.

 

His gaze glanced over my face.

 

“Do you know me?”

 

“No, I don’t-”

 

I took off my pretense and showed a confident expression.

 

“You seemed to know who I was, but I guess it’s not.”

 

“No, I don’t ! Never!.”

 

And there was one more thing.

 

“Right, I couldn’t really expect anything, even a little.”

 

The Duke’s eyes narrowed, but he no longer asked questions of doubt.

 

Instead, he slowly spoke to me.

 

“We’ll go to the Duke of Anais Castle.”

 

“…Yes?”

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“Because that castle’s my home.”

 

As far as I knew, he was cold and sober and more aristocratic.

 

Those perfectly drowsy eyes were staring openly at me, with no way to bend with laughter.

 

As I had prepared, I replied similarly to the director of the treatment center who had saved Duke Anais from the original 『Blood Revenge.』

 

“If that castle was your home, if that castle? So, if you do, then you’re Duke Anais?”

 

“Yes.”, He raised his head and answered.

 

It was a very concise answer.
I put my hand in front of my chest and sighed.

 

“I have saved Duke Anais! It’s an honor.
By the way, it was really close to a critical situation for the north.
Thank God, I’ve saved your life to the greatest of my ability.”

 

It seemed like overreacting, but I couldn’t stop

 

“…”

 

“I thought you’re going to die, so I didn’t even notice your handsome face because I was just focusing on the treatment.
Haha!”

 

This dialogue contained a lot of information from the words of the director who saved the Duke in the original.
‘Being not selfish and just a coincidence that I saved him!’

 

Also, I’m a nice person, and I’m also smart as a trader.

 

After this was an unseen video.

 

(N: details pertaining to the original which was not mentioned.
The author literally used the word VIDEO)

 

Similar to the original content, the Duke would say, ‘Okay.
Then the details of the reward should be talked about after we arrive at the Castle.’

 

With my glistening eyes, the Duke nodded wearily.

 

And he replied with a sincere glance as if chewing on the information contained in the previous words.

 

“I’m handsome.”

 

“Yes, right now the Duke-, what…?”

 

Of course it’s the right thing to say.

 

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But now is not the time to say that…!

 

However, before I could even point out his reaction that seemed to be out of focus, the Duke opened his mouth first.

 

“Then, please tell me the name of my benefactor.”

  

 

Now I have the opportunity to tell him my name.

 

A bit of a suspicious and strange thing happened but as a result I finally did it!

 

I opened my mouth and imprinted my name and identity on him.

 

“It’s Astel, please call me Astel! I’m a commoner working at a treatment center outside the Duke Castle.”

 

“Yes, alright.”, He answered simply.

 

I was worried that his attitude would change because I was a low-status commoner, but fortunately there was no such thing.

 

At last, his languid eyes met mine.

 

“Astel.”

 

As the Duke called my name in an indifferent tone, my heart thumped and my face felt hot.

 

Why do I suddenly feel like my heart pricks?

 

My breathing kept getting rougher, and it felt like something was pressing my chest.

 

As a healer, I had an unknown chest pain.

 

‘I never fell in love at first sight, but my heart felt very uncomfortable.’

 

I was in doubt, but the Duke reached out to me.
I casually put my hand over his outstretched hand.

 

“Let’s go to the Duke’s Castle and talk.”

 

It was a polite escort that didn’t seem to contain even a little selfishness.

 

However, the moment I touched him, a cool energy came up from my fingertips and calmed the mild fever that was burning my forehead.

 

…What is this??